Our mission is the acquisition and stewardship of lands that enhance water quality and preserve open space. We have protected– or helped to protect– over 10,000 acres, and we work to conserve more land every day. We have many important projects and ongoing partnerships, and these are some of the current highlights.
Mapping the Places that Matter
Plotting places that matter
Throughout the latter half of 2009, the Freshwater Land Trust met with over 400 representatives of the academic, scientific, business, environmental, recreational, governmental, economic development, agricultural and many other communities about the special places they want to see protected. The information gathered during these meetings has been incorporated into a Community Conservation Plan, which will become our conservation road map for the next ten years of places we will work to protect in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, Walker, Chilton, and Bibb Counties. We will share the information we gathered; watch this website for more information on public meetings that are being planned and plan information that will be released in the spring of 2010.
Mapping the Places That Matter is made possible through the generous funding from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Alabama Power Company, the Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust, the Land Trust Alliance, and Vulcan Materials Company.
If you have a special place that you would like to protect, please let us know at info@fwlt.org or call us at (205)417‑2777.
Restoration Projects
Since the Freshwater Land Trust works in urbanized watersheds, some of the lands we protect need help. With the help of volunteers, the Freshwater Land Trust removes invasive plants, like Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), restores stream flows to original pathways, and transforms degraded streamside areas. These actions improve water quality, protect endangered plant and animal species, and enhance biological diversity. See amazing photos of our work on Shades Creek >
Annual Five Mile Creek Cleanup
The Cleanup Crew after a job well done
Each spring, the Five Mile Creek Partnership and the Magic City Chapter of Alabama Power’s Service Organization converge upon a site along Five Mile Creek to remove trash, build public parks, construct outdoor classrooms and other activities that help improve the Creek’s water quality and provide recreational and educational activities for residents.
The Freshwater Land Trust is a proud member of the Five Mile Creek Partnership. The first cleanup was in Brookside in 2004. Since then, Tarrant, Roebuck, Center Point, Fultondale, Graysville, and Brookside have benefitted from the Partnership’s efforts each year, and the fun continues every spring.
In order to improve water quality and reduce flooding on Five Mile Creek, The Land Trust completed a feasibility study of constructing a wet retention structure along the creek in Tarrant. The first phase of the study has been completed. A series of wetlands have been constructed that will hold flood waters while, at the same time, filtering and cleaning the water before it re-enters the stream.
Valuable Partnerships
The Land Trust is partnering with Faith Apostolic Church, Samford University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College to protect Seven Springs and the endangered watercress darters that live within its waters.